Green walls could present a similar fire risk to the highly combustible cladding used on Grenfell Tower due to the plastic used in their potting systems, research shared exclusively with Dezeen has found. More about Researchers warn plastic-potted green walls could pose "Grenfell nightmare"
University of Edinburgh researchers have used bacteria to turn plastic waste into a Parkinson's drug, advancing a new approach known as "bio-upcycling". More about Plastic bottles recycled into Parkinson's drug using bacteria
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers have made recycled plastic into floor trusses for housing, arguing the waste stream could provide an abundant and sustainable structural building material. More about MIT researchers developing process to make houses from recycled plastic
Australian studio Heliograf has worked with Vert Design to produce Holy Carp! – a plastic-free, compostable alternative to the fish-shaped soy sauce packaging immortalised in its Light Soy lamp. More about Heliograf launches plastic-free alternative to single-use soy sauce fish
British company Carbon Cell has used agricultural waste to make a carbon-negative and compostable alternative to polystyrene packaging and building insulation that avoids contributing to plastic pollution. More about Carbon Cell makes plastic-free alternative to polystyrene
Environmental organisation A Plastic Planet has removed the paywall around its PlasticFree database, giving designers and brands unfettered access to its directory of expert-verified plastic substitutes. More about PlasticFree makes database of hundreds of plastic alternatives "forever free to all"
New materials brand Hyphyn has launched what it claims is a first-of-its-kind biodegradable performance vinyl fabric, which breaks down over 90 per cent in two years in landfill conditions without leaving behind microplastics or toxic chemicals. More about Hyphyn impregnates vinyl with plastic-eating enzymes to enhance biodegradation
Governments' failure to agree a treaty on curbing plastics pollution draws attention to how reliant on the material we have become but there may be a silver lining, writes Smith Mordak. More about "We need plastic to keep our economic order going"
Dezeen Showroom: German architecture studio Mungenast / Morroni aimed to be at the forefront of manufacturing and sustainability with this chair, which is 3D-printed from recycled plastic. More about Ruffini chair by Mungenast / Morroni
Launches of foam-free sofas are coming in hot and fast, as furniture makers wake up to the toxic impacts of polyurethane padding. Below are seven recent examples, packed instead with beans, latex and nothing but air. More about Seven foamless sofas filled with unexpected materials
Designer Marcin Rusak referenced the landscapes of his native Poland in a series of tables and vases, which are made from his signature combination of flowers suspended in resin. More about Marcin Rusak captures "untamed wilderness" of Polish countryside in resin
Multidisciplinary design studio Space Available has established a community centre in Jakarta, Indonesia, featuring a conversation pit containing recycling machines and furniture made from ocean plastic. More about Space Available crafts Self Care Community Centre from 11 tonnes of plastic waste
Polish designer Tomek Rygalik has launched Loope – a recycled plastic furniture brand that allows customers to return used products when they are no longer needed, so they can be turned into a different piece of furniture free of charge. More about Unwanted furniture turned into new items at no extra cost with Loope take-back scheme
A chain of plastic spheres fronts the Switzerland Pavilion at the Expo 2025 Osaka, which Manuel Herz Architects designed as a homage to the Expo '70. More about Manuel Herz references "audacious spirit of Expo '70" for Swiss pavilion
Promotion: Swiss furniture brand Vitra has announced the development of a world-first easily recyclable polyurethane foam, developed in partnership with chemicals company BASF. More about Vitra introduces recyclable polyurethane upholstery foam called V-Foam
Dezeen Showroom: global architecture firm Gensler collaborated with The Good Plastic Company to produce a new nature-informed range of the brand's Polygood recycled plastic panels. More about Growth collection by Gensler for The Good Plastic Company
Architecture firm MVRDV has blanketed the square outside Bangkok's city hall with a woven floor mat made from recycled rice bags, inviting residents to sit, congregate and consider Thailand's plastic pollution crisis. More about MVRDV creates public seating area that doubles as "860-square-metre infographic" in Bangkok
US president Donald Trump has signed an order to abandon paper straws for single-use plastic. In light of his critique, we've rounded up 10 other examples of plastic alternatives that probably won't "break" or "explode". More about Ten plastic alternatives designed to trump paper straws
Italian designer Marco Campardo has revolutionised the production process behind his Jello furniture series together with Paris's Galerie Kreo, creating pieces that are nearly twice the size. More about Jello furniture receives ultra-glossy "almost edible" update to rival its gelatinous namesake
US president Donald Trump has issued an executive order to end the federal use of paper straws and encourage consumers to switch back to plastic, reversing Biden-era measures to curb plastic pollution. More about Trump signs executive order to ditch paper straws for plastic